


Let me be your Fortress

by lilaussieauthor, theauthenticme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Cheryl confides in Toni, F/F, Protective Toni Topaz, Soft Cheryl, Soft Toni, choni
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 12:41:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18476461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilaussieauthor/pseuds/lilaussieauthor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthenticme/pseuds/theauthenticme
Summary: Based on the prompt 'Toni gets overprotective of Cheryl when Nick comes back.'Cheryl sees Nick St Clair again and later,she finally tells Toni exactly what happened that night.





	Let me be your Fortress

**Author's Note:**

> I was collaborating with Lilaussieauthor again on this piece. It has been so much fun to work with her, she's a great author. 
> 
> This was based on a prompt Lilaussieauthor got: Toni gets overprotective of Cheryl when Nick comes back.
> 
> TW applies for attempted rape and the aftermath and effects of that.

Cheryl was never very good at talking about the traumatic events of her past. She preferred to keep it inside, burying it with all the other painful memories that were hidden beneath her beautiful exterior. Toni had been gradually coaxing her out of her shell, Cheryl revealing bits of her past to Toni as their relationship blossomed.

Cheryl had only told Toni the very bare bones of what had happened with Nick, sharing that his intentions with her had been less that pure and Veronica, Josie and the Pussycats had saved her before it went too far. She'd left out all the finer details, hoping that it wouldn't come up again and Toni would simply forget.

What she hadn't bargained on was _ever_ seeing Nick back in Riverdale.

They were at a gala, enjoying their evening of luxury and extravagance when his unmistakably dulcet tones filtered through Cheryl's consciousness. Her heart started to race as she frantically turned to look for the source of the voice.   _His_ voice. She couldn't see him anywhere so told herself she must have imagined it, getting herself another glass of champagne to calm her nerves.

Toni noticed the girl on her arm tense up and looked to her consequently. “Babe? Everything okay?” This gala was less than her cup of tea but if it made Cheryl happy, she was all for it. “Cher?”

Cheryl continued to look around the room, trying to work out if she'd actually heard his voice or not.  
"I thought I heard someone..but I think I imagined it.." she tried to calm her nerves, downing her champagne quickly, her face scrunching up as the bitterness hit her throat.

Toni frowned. “Okay, babe, you let me know if anything’s wrong, okay? We can leave.” Part of her felt selfish for saying the last bit, but if Cheryl was uncomfortable, _so was she_. “Who did you think you heard? Anyone I know?”

"No..no. No one you know" she forced a wide smile onto her face to show Toni that she was _fine_. 

They chatted to some of their friends for a bit but Cheryl kept getting distracted by his voice. Had she drunk too much? Was she really hearing it? She continued to look around, but couldn't see him. It's not like she'd expect him to be here anyway, he didn't live close by.

Toni noticed that Cheryl was obviously not okay. She kept a close eye on her girlfriend, talking shallowly to their friends but not really concentrating. She was continuously looking around for the source of the mysterious voice that had her girlfriend so on edge.

She didn't spot anyone obvious - Chuck, maybe? Was she fighting with Josie again? Toni was so confused, but she didn't want to trigger one of Cheryl's panic attacks so she kept quiet, staying close to the redhead to offer her maximum support.

"Well, well, well" a voice came up behind them. "If it isn't _the_  Cherry Bombshell herself" his voice was cocky and over confident.

Cheryl froze, feeling unable to move as memories of that horrible night swam through her mind and clouded her vision.

She turned to face him, her stare icy, although she was shaking a bit. "What are you doing here?"

"My parents are good friends with the Lodge family. When I heard they were holding a gala, I couldn't _not_ attend. Didn't want to pass up a chance to see my favourite red again now did I?"

Cheryl couldn't believe he was for real. Before she could say anything, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She clamped her hand to her mouth and ran to the nearest bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach into the pan.

Toni followed close behind, rubbing her girlfriend's back as Cheryl wiped her hand over her mouth.

"Babe," Toni started, eyeing the man who had entered the bathroom behind them.

"Who is this?" She shot him a sharp look, turning back to the redhead. "What's happening?"

"He's no one TT" Cheryl stood on shaky legs. "What the hell do you want Nick?"

" _Nick_?" Toni whispered. "Cher... Nick?" She turned sharply towards the man, ready to get up and kill him. 

Knowing how Toni felt about him, Cheryl immediately clamped her hands on Toni's arms as she went for him. 

"Cheryl, let me _go_!"

"Toni, he's not worth it. Come on..we're leaving" she pushed past Nick. "If I ever see you again, it will be too soon" she wasn't sure where her new found confidence had come from, but she just wanted to get out of there and as far away from him as possible.

"We're not leaving," Toni growled lowly. "I'm going to kill you Nick."

The man laughed at her. "What you? Kill me? You're tiny! I don't think so. You're a cute one though. You been getting it on with my red?"

Toni glared at him, still fighting against Cheryl's restraints. "She's not yours, you _bitch_. Leave her alone or else, I will kill you."

"Toni please.." Cheryl begged, tears in her eyes. "He's really, really not worth it. _Please_ can we just go?" She couldn't stand to be around him any longer.

Toni softened as she looked back at her girlfriend. "Okay, baby. But..." she turned back to Nick. "If you ever come near her again, I'm going to hurt you so bad that you don't remember what it's like to see the light of day. Understood?"

"I'd like to see you try" he scoffed, although there was a hint of fear in his tone as he watched them walk away.

"Keep being a bitch and you will!" Toni yelled, wrapping an arm slightly roughly around her girlfriend's trembling body.

"Ugh," she said, quivering with the amount of hate she felt for Nick St Clair in that moment. "Cher? You doing alright?"

"I just want to go home.." she whimpered, tears in her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to say anymore as she clung to Toni, desperate to get away from here and all the memories that Nick had dredged up.

Toni's heart broke. "Okay, baby girl. Alright...let's go home." She lead the taller girl out of the bathroom and through the throngs of people, glaring at anyone who looked at them funny. "We'll leave my bike here, take your car, okay?"

Cheryl nodded, letting Toni lead them out, fumbling for her keys somewhere inside her purse. She didn't care how they got out of here, as long as they were as far away from Nick as possible.

Toni took the keys, knowing Cheryl has drunk too much to drive. She sat Cheryl carefully in the front seat of the car, letting her girl go for a second to get in the driver's seat. She had so much energy, so much pent up hate flowing through her body and she wanted to _kill_  Nick, but her main priority was Cheryl and making sure she was okay.

Cheryl was silent as they drove home, lost in her own thoughts. This wasn't the end of the night she had hoped for at all. She hated that Nick had ruined it, he had no _right._

Toni was hardly concentrating on the road (whoops). She kept stealing glances at her quiet girlfriend looking morosely out the window, rubbing her thumb gently over the skin between Cheryl's thumb and first finger.

She was so furious, so utterly pissed at the guy who had butchered some of Cheryl's trust not only in men, but in humankind. She wanted to talk about it, but she didn't want to further upset Cher so she kept quiet, fuming silently as she drove.

As soon as they were back in the familiar safety of Thistle House, Cheryl was tugging at her dress, keen to get into comfier clothes. She found her favorite hoodie and sweat pants, pulling them on and instantly feeling a little better.

"TT? Can we talk?" They were the first words she'd spoken since they had gotten in the car, her voice hoarse.

"But..not here.." she didn't want to have this conversation in their bedroom. She tugged Toni's hand gently, leading her downstairs and into the living room. She sat down on the rug by the fire, leaning her back against the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"I wasn't totally honest with you about what happened that night with Nick" she mumbled, her eyes downcast. "I know I told you that his intentions were less than pure and that Veronica and the Pussycats saved me before it went too far but..that wasn't everything.."

"Okay," Toni nodded. She'd suspected as such. "You wanna tell me now?"

In truth, _no_ ,  she didn't want to talk about it. Not ever, to anyone. But she knew that she needed to be totally honest with Toni.

"He's not a nice guy" she started quietly.  "He uh..he put something in my drink that night. Everything was hazy..I remember him leading me up to the bedroom ...touching me... kissing me.." she swallowed hard, worried she might throw up again.

Toni sighed, coming even closer and rubbing Cheryl's back. She knew how much the redhead hated throwing up and if anything, she _really_  didn't want to make tonight even worse for Cheryl.

But they had a rule now - no more secrets. And they _needed_ to have this conversation, Toni knew that. So if it involved throwing up or tears or pain, at least they could get through it together. They had to.

"I couldn't stop him, my arms and legs were like lead" she cried, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Toni took a sharp intake of breath, on the verge of tears herself. But no, she had to be strong for Cheryl. Tonight wasn't about her, she had to acknowledge Cheryl's feelings and try to stay strong for her girlfriend. "Cher..."

"That was when Veronica and The others came in. They pulled him off me before he could take my clothes off or..you know.." she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I know," Toni admitted. "I'm so... I'm so sorry, Cher." She couldn't breathe properly - the way Cheryl's eyes were looking at her, so sad and so broken, it was killing her. She'll forever be in Veronica and the pussycats' debt. "I'm sorry, baby."

"You wanna know the worst part? My mother took his family's hush money like it was _nothing._  Like _I'm_ nothing.." her eyes were unfocused as she started ahead of her. "She said nothing really happened to me and that we shouldn't involve the police."

Toni pounced. "Cheryl. No. No. _No_. You're not nothing. God - you're the exact opposite. You're everything sweetheart. You're my everything, Cher. And your mother -" _God_ , her mother. Yet another Cheryl-related person on Toni's 'to-kill' list. "She's nothing. You my love, are everything. And you don't deserve a bit of everything that's happened to you. Not a bit."

Cheryl listened and heard all of Toni's loving words, her concerned yet loving voice penetrating Cheryl's cast iron walls that she built around herself. "Thank you T" she wiped her eyes, more tears spilling down her cheeks.

“Always,” Toni whispered, bringing a hand up to wipe Cheryl’s tears for her. “You deserve the world, Cher, okay? I love you so much.”

"You too" she sniffled, unwrapping her arms and wrapping them around Toni, collapsing into her embrace.

Toni held her tight, rubbing up and udown her girlfriend's back, utterly seething at stupid Nick, stupid Penelope, stupid everyone from Cheryl's past.

"Want me to beat him up? I'll get the gang on him, please, Cher, let me hurt him."

Cheryl shook her head. "The girls did at the time. He was pretty beat up. And then Archie did too..." she trailed off. "I just want to forget about him now, please Toni? He's not worth the risk and with him, who knows what shit he might try and pull."

Toni sighed. "Okay, Cher... I don't really agree with you because I want nothing more than to kick the shit out of him, but... if that's what you want, babe, then that's what will be." She pulled Cheryl impossibly closer and rested her lips on the redhead's forehead. "God, what a bitch."

 "I hate him" Cheryl mumbled against Toni, their foreheads meeting. "I hope to God I never have to see him again."

"You won't," Toni promised. "I'll make sure of it, Cher, I will. I swear on my love for you, you won't have to see him again." She knew she couldn't promise such a thing but right now she just wanted Cheryl to feel okay. To feel better.

"You're the best TT" Cheryl moved arms down so they were around Toni's waist, her head falling to Toni's chest as the sound of her heartbeat continued to soothe her.

Toni smiled gently. “Only for you, baby. Always for you.”

"Can we stay like this forever?" Nowhere felt more like home than being in Toni's arms.

"Of course, my love," Toni promised. "We can do whatever you want."

She started to stroke through Cheryl's hair absentmindedly, toying with red locks and curling them around her fingers. "Cher... I'm really grateful you talked to me tonight."

"Of course. We agreed no more secrets right?" She hummed with content, her eyes falling closed as she relaxed.

Toni nodded, the tightness in her chest finally loosening as Cheryl calmed down.

"Right. Just making sure you know." She bent her neck down to press a kiss to Cheryl's head.

  
"I really, _really_  love you, Cheryl Blossom," she admitted quietly. "It hurts me to think that anyone could do such things to an amazing young lady like you. And it makes me so mad, so, so I mad, that they did. And I can't do anything about it now - so I'm just gonna keep telling you how damn much you mean to me, alright?"

"An amazing young lady?" she couldn't hide her chuckle. "That sounds like something out of Downton Abbey. But i can't deny that I _am_ pretty amazing."

"What can I say?" Toni grinned. "I'm a sucker for Downton Abbey."

"I heard a rumor!"

Toni laughed. "I love you, Cher." She sounded so cheesy but she was so grateful for the redhead who was currently resting against her.

"To infinity and beyond" she hummed, sinking further so that her head was rested on Toni's lap.

"Dork," Toni mumbled, giggling. "Why do I love you again?"

"Because," Cheryl smiled, her eyes shut and her head resting against Toni "I make *the* best Toy Story references in the middle of our deep conversations, obviously."

"obviously!"

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. We love writing your prompts so please continue to leave them in the comments!


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